Page 34 of Snowy Surprises in the Highlands

12

Bella made her way downstairs at seven in the morning while Harris was still asleep. She put the kettle on and opened the back door to let Beau and Bertie out. A blast of cold air entered the room as the dogs exited, and she wrapped her cardigan tighter around herself. Once the water had boiled, she stood at the window with a mug of steaming coffee, watching as Bertie and Beau chased each other around the garden at speed, unaware that Bella felt like her life was falling apart. The dogs didn’t care about the drop in temperature, their thick furry coats kept it at bay as they frolicked around, barking, their ears and tails flapping wildly and tongues lolling out.

The sky overhead was overcast and grey, in fact, it hadn’t really got light since the evening before. And although it was autumn anyway, Bella couldn’t help feeling the sun was missing Isla too and instead of putting his hat on, as the old song said, he had pulled the duvet over his head and decided to stay put.

She put on the radio to distract herself but after ‘All By Myself’ by Eric Carmen, ‘Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone’ by Bill Withers, and ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ by Sinead O’Connor had been the Radio Highland DJ’s particular choices, she turned it off with a huff. It was as if he was conspiring against her to make her cry again.

Eventually Harris joined her, his hair damp from showering, and slipped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder as he held her tightly. ‘They adore each other, those two mad dugs,’ he said with a chuckle.

‘They do. It’s a good thing when you consider…’ Bella closed her eyes firmly, willing the threatening tears away.

‘Hey,’ Harris said as he turned her around in his arms and removed the mug from her hand to place it on the countertop. He pulled her close. ‘We’re not thinking like that. Beau will be going home to your granny soon enough. I just know it.’

Bella clenched her jaw and opened her eyes. Speaking through gritted teeth, she said, ‘You can’t know that though, Harris. None of us can. How can you be so certain that things will be fine? How can you stand there acting so calmly?’

For a moment, he almost let his mask slip and Bella watched the infinitesimal shake of his head as he fought himself and whatever emotions he was pushing down. ‘Because we’re getting married on Christmas Eve and I can’t imagine that happening without them both being there, Bella.’ His voice broke and he immediately cleared his throat. ‘They will be home. I have to cling to that with every ounce of my being because the alternative isn’t— I just can’t go there.’ He forced a smile. ‘Now why don’t you go and shower, eh? Kendric and the TV folks will be here soon.’

She nodded and tiptoed up to kiss him tenderly, cupping his face in her palms. ‘I love you so very much.’ She turned and headed for the stairs.

After showering and drinking copious amounts of coffee, they were all sitting in the lounge waiting. Bella had talked to her parents about them being a part of the interview, but they insisted she and Harris were the best people for that particular job. They decided to head up to see Dorothy at Pabay View to see if there had been any further developments, and perhaps to have a look around the area themselves. Not that they felt things had been missed, they insisted, but they needed to feel useful.

* * *

Just after Bella’s mum and dad had left, there was a knock at the door. Harris answered it and Bella heard introductions being made. Kendric MacKinnon walked through into the living room and immediately filled the space with his imposing manner and larger-than-life personality. Although it wasn’t ego fuelled as Bella had anticipated from seeing the man on TV. He wore a smart, tailored navy-blue suit and a starched white shirt with a lilac tie, the colour of Isla’s hair in the photos they had sent him. Bella wondered if that had been deliberate. If so, it was a sweet gesture.

He walked over and held out his hand. ‘Bella, how are you doing?’ His eyes were filled with genuine concern.

She stood and took his hand. ‘I’m… okay, I think.’ She nodded as if trying to convince everyone, including herself.

‘I’m so sorry you’re going through this, but I can assure you we’ll do all we can to help. This here is Corrinne who will be operating the camera.’ The tall, slim, short-haired brunette woman raised a hand and smiled. ‘And this is Dom, my producer.’ Unlike Kendric, the other two people were casually dressed and didn’t speak. ‘We won’t take up too much of your time but be as honest with your emotions as you can. It’s important that people see how this is affecting you. That way it’s more likely to make an impact and keep people vigilant.’

Bella nodded and Harris slipped his arm around her shoulders. ‘Where would you like to film?’

Kendric looked around the living room. ‘This space is perfect. Good light, nice and homely, no distracting clutter. Why don’t the two of you sit on that sofa and I’ll sit in this armchair.’

Everyone took their places, and the producer held up a monitor to Bella’s face then looked at the small LED screen. ‘Looks good,’ he said. The camera operator nodded and gave a thumbs up.

Kendric turned his attention to Bella and Harris. ‘Now, I’ll ask you some questions and you just answer as best you can, okay?’

Bella suddenly realised she hadn’t been the best host, and as if snapping out of a daze, shook her head and stood. ‘Oh, my word, I haven’t even offered you a drink, or… or food. Can I get you anything at all?’

Kendric smiled warmly. ‘We’re all fine, thank you. Don’t worry about anything else. Just sit and try to relax.’ Bella did as instructed, and clung to Harris’s hand. ‘The photo that you emailed this morning, showing Maeve and Isla, will be shown on the screen as we talk, along with the phone number of the police station for people to call with information. That number will divert to you, Harris, as you requested.’ Harris nodded and squeezed Bella’s hand.

The producer silently counted down with his fingers and the camera was aimed at them. When the producer pointed at Kendric and nodded, he smiled into the lens. ‘Good afternoon, everyone. I’m here in beautiful Glentorrin on the Isle of Skye today covering a very concerning case of a trio of missing octogenarians whose families are, as you can imagine, extremely concerned and want them home as soon as possible. Bella Douglas’s grandmother, Isla, and Harris Donaldson’s mother, Maeve, have been incommunicado for approximately two days now and we need your help to bring them home safely. A third person, a gentleman from the same residential complex, is also missing but it’s not known if these cases are connected. We’re about to show you a photo of the two females, which was taken only last week so shows a very good resemblance of the two friends.’

He turned to Bella and Harris. ‘Could you tell us a little bit about Isla and Maeve?’

Bella nodded, her heart was pounding and thumping at quite an alarming pace. ‘Isla is a gregarious lady with purple hair and a wicked sense of humour. Family is her first concern, always, and she’s very dear to me,’ Bella said as her chin trembled. ‘It’s not like her to not stay in touch, it’s so out of character. I just want her home. Or even to know that she’s safe.’

Kendric turned to Harris. ‘And your mother, Harris?’

Harris was always calm in a crisis. He smiled. ‘Mum is such a kind-hearted person. She’d do anything for anyone and will always help if she can. She has a heart of gold and she and Isla are the best of friends. As my fiancée said, this is very much out of character for the two of them and our concern is growing with every minute.’

Kendric nodded, his expression serious and his demeanour oozed professionalism. ‘Are there any places they’re known to frequent, where people can keep a look out?’

Bella was struggling to get her words out now, so Harris took the lead. ‘Both Isla and Maeve enjoy visiting Portree. That’s where they were understood to be going. They usually go for tea and cake and have various cafés they like to frequent. Maeve isn’t quite as distinctive to look at as Isla with her purple hair,’ he said with a smile, ‘although she loves bright colours and often wears them. But Isla hasn’t quite managed to convince her to have her hair dyed yet.’

Kendric smiled. ‘They sound like real characters. Is there a message you’d like to put out there in case either of the ladies or the gentleman are watching?’